React and Node based Video Calling Application | Web Application

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will be building a real-time video calling application using React and Node.js. This application will allow users to make video calls with each other in real-time, using WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) technology. We will be using React for the frontend and Node.js for the backend, with a MongoDB database to store user information.

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial, you should have:

• Basic knowledge of React and Node.js
• Familiarity with WebRTC and its concepts (e.g. peer connection, stream, etc.)
• A code editor or IDE (e.g. Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, etc.)
• A terminal or command prompt
• A MongoDB database installed on your local machine (optional)

Setting up the Project

To start, we will create a new React project using the create-react-app command:

npx create-react-app video-calling-app

This will create a new directory called video-calling-app with a basic React project setup. We will then create a new Node.js project for the backend:

mkdir backend
cd backend
npm init -y

This will create a new package.json file for our Node.js project. We will then install the required dependencies:

npm install express mongoose webrtc

This will install the Express.js framework for our backend, the Mongoose library for interacting with our MongoDB database, and the WebRTC library for handling peer connections.

Backend Configuration

In the backend directory, create a new file called app.js and add the following code:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const WebRTC = require('webrtc');

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/video-calling-app', { useNewUrlParser: true, useUnifiedTopology: true });

app.use(express.json());
app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

app.get('/users', (req, res) => {
  // Return a list of all users in the database
  User.find().then(users => res.json(users));
});

app.post('/users', (req, res) => {
  // Create a new user in the database
  const user = new User(req.body);
  user.save().then(() => res.json({ message: 'User created successfully' }));
});

app.get('/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  // Return a specific user by ID
  User.findById(req.params.id).then(user => res.json(user));
});

app.put('/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  // Update a specific user by ID
  User.findByIdAndUpdate(req.params.id, req.body, { new: true }).then(user => res.json(user));
});

app.delete('/users/:id', (req, res) => {
  // Delete a specific user by ID
  User.findByIdAndRemove(req.params.id).then(() => res.json({ message: 'User deleted successfully' }));
});

const User = mongoose.model('User', {
  name: String,
  email: String
});

app.listen(3001, () => {
  console.log('Server listening on port 3001');
});

This code sets up an Express.js server that listens on port 3001 and provides routes for creating, reading, updating, and deleting users in our MongoDB database.

Frontend Configuration

In the video-calling-app directory, create a new file called App.js and add the following code:

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { WebRTC } from 'webrtc';

function App() {
  const [peers, setPeers] = useState([]);
  const [localStream, setLocalStream] = useState(null);
  const [remoteStreams, setRemoteStreams] = useState({});

  useEffect(() => {
    // Get user media
    navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({ video: true, audio: true })
     .then(stream => setLocalStream(stream))
     .catch(error => console.error('Error getting user media:', error));

    // Create a new peer connection
    const peerConnection = new WebRTC.PeerConnection();
    peerConnection.onicecandidate = event => {
      if (event.candidate) {
        // Send the ice candidate to the other peer
        socket.emit('candidate', event.candidate);
      }
    };
    peerConnection.ontrack = event => {
      // Add the remote stream to the list of remote streams
      setRemoteStreams({...remoteStreams, [event.stream.id]: event.stream });
    };

    // Join the room
    socket.emit('join', { username: 'username' });
  }, []);

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Video Calling App</h1>
      <button onClick={() => {
        // Create a new peer connection
        const peerConnection = new WebRTC.PeerConnection();
        peerConnection.onicecandidate = event => {
          if (event.candidate) {
            // Send the ice candidate to the other peer
            socket.emit('candidate', event.candidate);
          }
        };
        peerConnection.ontrack = event => {
          // Add the remote stream to the list of remote streams
          setRemoteStreams({...remoteStreams, [event.stream.id]: event.stream });
        };

        // Offer the local stream to the other peer
        peerConnection.addStream(localStream);
        peerConnection.createOffer().then(offer => {
          // Send the offer to the other peer
          socket.emit('offer', offer);
        });
      }}>
        Start Video Call
      </button>
      <ul>
        {Object.keys(remoteStreams).map(streamId => (
          <li key={streamId}>
            <video srcObject={remoteStreams[streamId]} controls />
          </li>
        ))}
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;

This code sets up a React component that handles user media, peer connections, and remote streams. It also provides a button to start a video call.

Socket.IO Configuration

In the video-calling-app directory, create a new file called socket.js and add the following code:

import io from 'socket.io-client';

const socket = io('http://localhost:3001');

socket.on('connect', () => {
  console.log('Connected to the server');
});

socket.on('disconnect', () => {
  console.log('Disconnected from the server');
});

socket.on('candidate', (candidate) => {
  // Handle incoming ice candidates
  console.log('Received candidate:', candidate);
});

socket.on('offer', (offer) => {
  // Handle incoming offers
  console.log('Received offer:', offer);
});

socket.on('answer', (answer) => {
  // Handle incoming answers
  console.log('Received answer:', answer);
});

export default socket;

This code sets up a Socket.IO connection to our Express.js server and handles incoming and outgoing messages.

Putting it all together

To start the application, run the following commands:

cd video-calling-app
npm start

This will start the React development server. Then, run the following command in a separate terminal:

cd backend
node app.js

This will start the Node.js server. Finally, open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000 to start using the video calling application.

This is a basic tutorial on how to build a real-time video calling application using React and Node.js. Of course, there are many ways to improve and customize this application, but this should give you a good starting point.